I grew up in San Francisco in the 1970s. We were part of a church that belonged to the California Jesus movement.

Forgetting isn't enough. You can paddle away from the memories and think they are gone. But they will keep floating back, again and again and agian. They circle you, like sharks. Until, unless, something, someone? Can do more than just cover the wound.

I never had a connection like that to anyone, where every day you think about what you’ll tell them and you wonder what they’re doing, and you know they’re wondering what you’re doing.

I had them all fooled into believing I was normal and well-adjusted, a rock of sensibility who could always be counted on to have a positive attitude.

Some people come into your life and leave a mark.

My books usually end where they began. I try to bring characters back to a point that is familiar but different because of the growth that they have gone through.

There's a lot that is awful. That's the struggle of getting old. To make sure you don't let what's hard...obscure the beauty.